The Phenomenon of Snow and Getting Unstuck
Posted on September 21, 2025 by Kirk McCarley, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
One of the initial things I've found career coaching clients expressing is the sense of feeling "stuck." So how do we get "unstuck?"
Folks are attracted to Florida for a variety of reasons. Beaches, amusement parks, a positive business and living environment, and favorable year-round weather head the list. Ours is a surprisingly vast state measuring nearly 840 miles from Pensacola at the western end to the enclave of Key West, situated at the conclusion of a series of islands extending south and west from the Peninsula.
Though our weather is for the most part tropical in nature, those of us in the northern tier of the state occasionally incur a taste of winter: chilly, bracing nights delivering freezing temperatures in which we break out the winter jackets, toss a few logs into the fireplace, and prepare a hearty chili or soup.
Snow and other freezing precipitation are a rarity. In fact, the last measurable snowfall in these parts has arguably been 30 or more years in the past.
The morning of Tuesday, January 21 started off raw. Temps did not rise and in fact were dropping by noon. By mid-afternoon, I witnessed a phenomenon I had not seen during my eight years in the panhandle: snow! Snow, and lots of it. Throughout the afternoon and into the early evening 3-4” had accumulated in our Walton County neighborhood. Milton, to the north of Pensacola and not far from us, had been the prior record holder for most snow in one event in Florida at 4”. At the end of the day, the community still held the record, but now at 10”!
Those 10” in one day represented the most snow in a 24-hour period this winter compared to any other weather reporting station…in Canada!
Further, we possess no snow removal equipment other than the patience of waiting for the next day to bring sunshine and a thaw. Some who were so bold as to venture out on that Tuesday got stuck.
A phenomenon for the ages: snow on the Gulf of Mexico
Stuck.
I hear that often from clients. Mostly it pertains to work and career. “I’m no longer challenged in what I do. Yet I’ve invested a lot of time with this organization. The work is predictable. And I am eligible for retirement in only 8…10…12 more years.” Some of us call that the “golden handcuff syndrome”—the spoils of labor so close, yet so far away.
Further laments. ”I’ve invested so much time, effort, and money into this career. I hate it, but what else can I do?” Then, “Wouldn’t people think I’m crazy to just walk away from it? Wouldn’t that be irresponsible?” The “what others may think” syndrome.
So, we become stuck and imprisoned to our need for security, predictability, and living up to expectations that are often not ours. We settle. And far too often through settling we fall into victimhood. The unexpected snowfalls of our lives become company mergers leading
to downsizings, closures, and subsequent job losses. So much for predictability. “I never thought it was going to happen to me.”
I get that we have responsibilities to provide for our families and ourselves. Yet we also have a responsibility, I believe, to seek to be our very best version for our families and ourselves. What is that? What is your unique talent or gift and how are you applying it? How can it bring about joy for others and fulfillment for you?
Coaches help clients discover their nirvanas and then develop plans to act upon those dreams and ambitions. If that’s you, reach out today to an International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited coach. We can help.
I was working with a client who has experienced success in many areas of his life including career and family. He had also done well financially and admittedly enjoyed making money. I asked him about the driver to pursue monetary reward. Was it that wealth allowed him to pursue possessions? Was it a competitive “game” that provided a measurement of how he was doing?
He paused to collect himself for a moment. He shared about having experienced and seen a lot in his life. In particular, he has witnessed distress and suffering in his community. He has felt compelled to do what he can to help. His reason for pursuing wealth was to be a solution to some of those in need. That’s his driver. Again, he realizes he can’t assist everyone, but his fulfillment comes from helping some.
My job as a coach is now to help him discover how to most effectively do that.
My friend has already escaped the snowdrift, unstuck, and ready to plow ahead. What do you similarly need to do next to make a difference?
